Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-01
eur New state.

cur New state.
At the Pasadena banquet in honor
of Col. II. III. Markham last Wednes-
day night, the reading Of the toast;
"To the New State OF South Califor-
MAJ was received with tumultuous
applause. The company present
we're fairly representative OF the
whole people of Los Angeles county,
and their unanimity on this point is
Indicative of the universal feeling
here in favor OF the erection OF new
State in Southern California. We
had an interview yesterday with a
gentleman, high State officer, whose
officia! business has called him re-
Gently to visit every county in the
San Joaquin valley, and spend con-
siderable time in all the important
towns of that valley. He is an en-
thusiastic friend of State division,
and he took occasion to air his views
at every opportunity. He says that
when he first broached the subject to
a group OF representative men IN
Stanislaus county, they declared that
in case OF division of the State they
would remain with the north. But
when he outlined the position they
would then occupy as the tag-end o
the old State, and depicted the bene-
fits they would receive if in the new
State, they listened attentively. He
said that he looked upon irrigation as
the great problem which concerned
all the counties in the southern por-
tion OF the State. As long as we are
tied to the northern counties we shall
be handicapped with an opposition
that will prevent the passage of such
laws as are absolutely required to
bring irrigation up to its highest efli-
CHENEY. Southern California as a
State would be able to start out Oh
sound principles in legislating upon
this subject. There are five millions
OF acres OF irrigable land in the San
Joaquin counties alone. The new
State could, ii it was deemed best,
place the irrigation bitches under
State control, and would find no diff
ficulty in so districting the State OF
South California as to make the wa
fers available sufficient for the irriga
tion OF every acre OF the five mil
lions. That would mean population
and prosperity for every county that
should come into the new State.
This cardinal project could be sue
cessfully carried out if we should
separate; it could never be done if
we should remain one. Our friend
says that his views caused reaction
OF feeling, and that the same men
who the day before had declared that
their county would 60 with the north
in the case of division, changed
about, and said that they would do
all they could to carry Stanislaus into
the new State. South of Stanislaus
the feeling is all for division, and
this feeling is emphatic and pro-
nounced in Fresno and Kern counties.
We believe that the people of San
Luis Obispo are favorably inclined to
Join us. II there is any adverse
feeling there now, it will soon
disappear when it is shown
that the new State will be a
power in Congress, for it will
have at least two Representatives in
the Lower House, and two United
States Senators. Nearly the whole
Federal influence OF the state is now
monopolized by San Francisco and
the northern counties. Our interests
are ..ithout adequate presentation,
but as a new State they would COM
mand attention. San Luis Obispo
wants appropriations for her fine har-
Dor. How long will she have to wait
for its completion with the petty Sums
now doled out to her? But with
the representation South California
would have in Congress, where thou
sands are appropriated now to i'm
prove our coast harbors, millions
would then be conceded. We believe
that the sooner the serious sgitation
of this pre-eminently important ques-
ton is commenced in the southern
counties the better. Now il the time
for its discussion in all its phases.
We should be ready to call a conven-
ton OF these counties next Fall to
prepare and promulgate a constitu-
ton to be submitted to the people.
That convention could take final
action on the subject, for 1t is not